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advantage for you |
A stressor itself is inherently neutral It is the way it is appraised that induces either distress |
or eustress Eustress is positive stress and comes about when we decide we can cope |
successfully Eustress mounted in response to exciting challenges drops off quickly rather than |
lingering like the cortisol response does |
Besides this distinction between distress and eustress scientists also differentiate between |
the threat and challenge responses The threat response is the fightorflight response that |
makes you angry or fearful priming you for selfdefense The challenge response gives you |
initiative helps you focus and motivates you to confront obstacles Both responses share |
several physiological factors such as an increase in heart rate However when you feel |
challenged your heart beats stronger not just faster giving you more energy |
During the threat response the body is anticipating physical harm and makes relevant |
alterations For example blood vessels constrict to minimize blood loss due to injury sustained |
during combat The body also increases inflammation and mobilizes immune cells to prepare |
for bruises and cuts The threat response leads to cortisol and feelings of selfdoubt Studies |
have shown that over time the threat response leads to obesity brain volume loss and an |
increased risk of cardiovascular disease |
The challenge response doesnt do these things The challenge response leads to tenacity |
and enthusiasm Experts say that if you feel you dont have what it takes to meet a situation |
head on you experience a threat response agree also think that the threat response is |
selected when distressed breathing predominates and that the challenge response is selected |
when diaphragmatic breathing is retained Use your deep breathing skills to turn threat |
responses into challenge responses |
would also be remiss not to mention that low to moderate stress levels are natural and |
beneficial In fact most excitement is accompanied by a little adrenaline and cortisol along |
with an increase in heart and breathing rates We need some stress just like we need to |
contract our muscles regularly The problem with the stress response is when it is elevated |
chronically like a braced muscle |
am asking you to avoid mulling over threats fights and abuse am not however asking |
you to deny reality or stop thinking about rising to meet challenges Avoiding what makes you |
anxious can suspend growth This is why it is important to expose yourself incrementally to |
gradations of challenging social situations Voice that extra comment joke or observation to |
your peers to challenge yourself without pushing yourself into panic Spark a conversation with |
a stranger Chat up the clerk at the cash register Find progressively larger audiences to share |
your ideas with and make eye contact for those few extra seconds Every time you meet a |
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body |
moderate challenge and succeed you become able to face bigger challenges Assert yourself |
in ways you were hesitant to previously and push yourself to gently expand your comfort |
zone boundaries |
Remember those monkey studies we discussed a few sections back It turns out that if the |
young monkey was exposed to elevated levels of cortisol a few times but only briefly |
then they developed increased resilience to stress and lowered cortisol levels It toughened |
them up Your stress system is just like a muscle you want to push it through its full range |
regularly but not for extended periods Undergoing stress that challenges your cardiovascular |
and sympathetic system ends up being excellent exercise if you are not defeated by it and if you |
can relax afterward Envision your stress system as agile and able to go from to and back |
to uncomplicatedly Endure prevail and recoup Be made better and stronger by everything |
that happens by remaining fundamentally unharmed |
Feelings of Control and Safety |
An animals stress is exacerbated when it cannot figure out how to make things better |
feels helpless or powerless A rat subjected to small electrical shocks will liberate significantly |
less cortisol if it thinks it has some control over the frequency of the shocks Tricking the rat into |
thinking that pushing a lever reduces these shocks helps it remain calm even if the lever |
actually does nothing In a similar experiment when a beeping noise preceded a shock toa |
rats foot those rats had less severe ulcers than those with no warning Because the stress had |
some predictability the rats could retain a sense of control |
The moral of this story Dont focus on the elements of disturbing events that are |
unpredictable or uncontrollable More importantly know that your reactions attitude and |
reasoned choice are always under your control Your breathing is always under your control as |
well We all have times we are confused and uncertain Do not let the nonlinear chaotic or |
unforeseeable distress you Instead take the time to identify which aspects of an unpleasant |
situation are malleable This can help take the sting away from the unruly and erratic and help |
you turn threats into challenges |
Challenging yourself and embracing disorder is great but there are times when you must |
feel able to completely put down your guard so that you can rest deeply After the police loudly |
arrested my neighbor felt helpless in my own bed This is not ok Do what you must to make |
sure that you feel in control underneath your sheets even if it means installing an alarm system |
or a thicker bedroom door with a deadbolt The place where you sleep should provide |
sanctuary and refuge so you can debrace recharge and think safe happy thoughts |
The Buddha sat and slept at the base of the Bodhi Tree because it provided protection and |
security He trusted it to have his back Make sure your resting place makes you feel |
unconditionally secure |
Preventing Scalp Soreness and Other Forms of Hypoperfusion |
Hair loss can be caused by stress have a friend who left his ferret alone for two days and came |
home to find it covered in bald patches It is common for mammals to lose fur after trauma |
The details are unclear but it may be some kind of social signal When chronic stress causes |
hair loss in humans it is known as telogen effluvium started rapidly losing hair at the end of |
th grade At the time had no idea what caused the sudden hair loss Looking back two |
Chapter The Amygdala Cortisol and Chronic Stress |
decades later it is clear that it started immediately after having my nose broken believe the |
hair loss was a direct response to some form of highintensity bracing that took on after the |
injury that caused an outpouring of cortisol |
It is cortisol that makes hair follicles thin and fall out it is also stress hormones that make |
them turn gray This is why hair loss is associated with other stressrelated illnesses like |
coronary artery disease hypertension dyslipidemia and increased mortality Although |
genetics plays a role in hair loss abrupt hair loss from an early age is usually caused by extreme |
stress By age my hairline had receded to the midline of my scalp farther than my father or |
grandfathers hairlines Fascinatingly my hair loss stopped for eight years at least immediately |
after started paced breathing Of course only a little of my hair grew back because the |
miniaturization of the follicle responsible for balding is irreversible |
Another contributor to hair loss is reduced blood supply to the scalp Stress and aging can |
reduce circulation and vasculature in subcutaneous tissues all over the head This can cause |
scalp soreness In the medical literature sore scalp has been closely associated with hair loss |
alopecia and male pattern baldness believe that you can reduce your risk of hair loss by |
increasing circulation in your scalp Does your scalp feel sore when you firmly press a knuckle |
into it with five pounds of pressure It shouldnt If it does it may have reduced blood flow and |
the accompanying reductions in oxygen and nutrients If the exercise below feels sore or |
painful you should do it often to improve circulation The intervention is simple quick and can |
vastly reduce scalp soreness in less than two weeks Do the following |
DeStress Exercise Increase Scalp Blood Flow |
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